FLRUNNERS.COM LLC and NIKE are proud to introduce a collaboration to make Florida's most anticipated annual cross country meet even better. Today the two companies announced a two year sponsorship deal of the flrunners.com Invitational, which will help to take the meet to a new level and allow Nike to introduce the participants and guests to some of its latest products.
This year's meet will be held on October 5-6, 2007 at Chain of Lakes Park in Titusville, Florida. This eighth annual event will be titled flrunners.com Invitational 8 Presented by Nike, in accordance with the new partnership.
So what does the alliance mean to the meet attendees? In addition to the legendary athletes that flrunners.com already has scheduled (Olympians Jim Ryun and Keith Brantly), Nike will be bringing in two of their major-name current professional distance runners from the Nike running team. The exact identities of these star athletes will be announced later this summer!
Nike will be assisting flrunners.com in many ways with equipment, apparel, prizes, course marking materials, and financial compensation that will allow flrunners.com to re-invest monies to enhance other areas of the event to all around make the meet a spectacular and unforgettable experience for the athletes and spectators.
“It's always my goal to make this meet one that stands out and is not just another race,” says Jason Byrne (founder of flrunners.com), “but I am especially excited about this year because I think we are going to be able to do some things that no one has ever done and (in my mind) I can already see the looks on people's faces! We have a pretty big vision for what it's going to look like and what we're trying to do and I can't wait to see it all come into being. This year is going to be a fun one!”
Nike will be creating a premium retail and demonstration area for their products. They will also be creating some custom meet-branded keepsakes for those wanting something to remember the event by. This has been done at Nike's other events such as Great American, NTN, and Foot Locker with great success.
Byrne believes that one of the things that has always set the flrunners.com meet apart from other large meets is that it has always managed to still feel small and grassroots—even while being one of the largest meets in the country. “My mom still sells t-shirts, my wife is doing registration... and I like that! People get to know me and my family and it reminds me of what the sport should be about,” Byrne explains. Nike understands and appreciates Byrne's goals for the meet and wants to keep them in tact and not make it a big corporate billboard. “We are very aware of Jason's vision for the meet... we want to help to further that vision, not change it”, Scott Henson of Nike explains (slightly paraphrased).
Stay tuned for further updates and news as little by little the “grand vision” for the meet is revealed! But one thing is for sure—you don't want to miss this year! I hope EVERYONE can make it!
For more information see the meet web site at http://www.flrunners.com/invitational